LUNA, Apayao, June 1 - - The Cordillera Office of the Department of Agriculture convened a special meeting with the provincial local government unit here to ensure full implementation of the Special Area for Agricultural Development (SAAD) in the province.

The meeting focused on the finalization of the project’s supplemental implementing guideline, sustainability concerns, adoption of projects to local conditions, compliance to the guidelines set by partner agencies, social preparation, and implementation of food production and livelihood projects.

Results and agreements reached will guide the implementers in performing their project implementation activities.

DA Regional Executive Director Lorenzo Caranguian advised the SAAD staff to come up with a detailed operational plan for a clearer picture on their roles and responsibilities in line with their goals and objectives in providing assistance and interventions to the project beneficiaries and partners.

Engineer Danilo Daguio, SAAD Deputy Project Management Director, appealed to everyone for their cooperation to align their roles and responsibilities to the goals and objectives of the project which is also anchored to Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol’s directive to at least obligate 75percent of the SAAD budget.

The SAAD is a strategy of the DA that would look at the weaknesses of an area, its potentials in food production and agricultural livelihood programs in 10 areas in the country tagged with the highest poverty incidence as identified by the Philippine Statistics Authority. (pia/Leny Mendoza-DA)